There are card games which are similar to, but different from the invention, a few of which are shown and described in the following patents: Design U.S. Pat. Nos. 56,985; 118,977; and 169,557; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 627,046; 1,012,574; 1,076,307; 1,191,419; 1,320,899; 1,377,327; 1,401,001; 1,448,441; 1,485,146; 1,557,824; 1,705,883; 2,000,812; 2,042,930; 2,265,334; 4,333,656; 4,428,582; 4,775,157; 4,826,175; 4,923,199; 5,014,996; 5,092,777; 5,199,714; and 5,203,706.
These patents describe many different card designs and procedures for playing games; however, they are focused on some particular audience or style of playing. Hence, some games may be designed for small children. Other games may be designed for adults. Some games may be educational while other games are purely entertaining. In general, games involving a single deck of cards are not games which may be played by almost anyone from preschool to adults with a high level of interest for all persons. For the adult, the invention provides a wide range of games ranging from intellectual pursuits to the kind of almost trivial play which may be carried on while the main effort is socializing.
One disadvantage of card and similar games is that they appear to attract the public's interest for a while, and then disappear as the public's attention span wanes. Thus, there is a constant need for new games to replace those which have run their course. In order to increase its staying power and increase its life time, it is desirable for a deck of cards to have a great variety of different game uses so that play may be switched before boredom sets in. Also, the life time of and interest span for a deck of cards, or other game pieces, is greatly enhanced if creative people can invent and design their own games. Among other things, these features may be provided by cards having different values or symbols so that each game may be centered on a matching or scoring procedure which is convenient for such a game.